Representing Groups with Imprecise Opinions

This paper deals with the composition of multi-member decision making bodies (committees) on the basis of fuzzy individual preference relations over candidates. The methods discussed are basically extensions of the principles of optimal representation as spelled out by Chamberlin and Courant. Since these principles are defined for nonfuzzy individual preference rankings, we focus primarily on the essential ambiguity in determining the degree of representation associated with each possible committee when the individual preferences are fuzzy. Once this ambiguity is solved, the composition of an optimal committee is relatively straightforward.